1. Field
Embodiments of the invention relate to automated firmware restoration to a peer programmable hardware device.
2. Description of the Related Art
Programmable hardware devices (e.g., a Small Computer System Interface (SCSI) Enclosure Services (SES) processor in a storage server or a Universal Serial Bus (USB) controller for a USB device) are found in many different types of systems. In some cases, the purpose of the programmable hardware device is to provide reliability, availability, or serviceability (RAS) features. However, occasionally a programmable hardware device may require an update to the firmware that is driving its operation. Firmware may be described as programming that is a permanent part of a device (e.g., by being inserted into Programmable Read-Only Memory (PROM)). Also, firmware may be described as programming that is running on the programmable hardware device, whereas a firmware image may be described as the set of data that comprises the firmware that gets loaded onto the programmable hardware device. In many cases, the firmware that is written to the programmable hardware device will overwrite the previously operating firmware. Thus, if corrupt firmware (i.e., in the form of a firmware image) is written to the programmable hardware device, the programmable hardware device will not operate and, thus, can no longer provide normal functionality. A programmable hardware device with corrupt firmware (i.e., with a corrupt firmware image) may be referred to as a corrupted programmable hardware device. Firmware that is corrupted may be described as corrupted firmware or invalid firmware.
An alternative condition that occasionally may occur is that the firmware runs into an error during normal operation (e.g., when a firmware image download is not occurring or at runtime), and the error corrupts the firmware image, thus, also preventing the programmable hardware device from providing normal functionality.
Typically, system devices that fail in some way negatively affect the overall performance of the system, which in most customer environments is not acceptable. Typically, the conventional means to fix the problem is to replace the programmable hardware device or, if possible, reinstall the firmware image. However, these fixes require intervention from some type of external support, and this type of intervention is not automatic. If a customer had critical operations that were negatively affected by any delays, the existing solution of calling and waiting for support would not be adequate.
Thus, there is a need in the art to enable automatic self correction of a firmware problem for a programmable hardware device.